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What Will Be Key to Safety as Technology Changes Airport Operations? 

Nearly 40 people yesterday attended a UAS Technologies in Action workshop in Oklahoma City organized by AAAE’s Airport Consortium on Transformation (ACT).
 
Held in advance of AAAE’s Airport Operations & Technology Symposium, attendees learned the latest about drone technologies and how Oklahoma is helping the lead the way in the use of drones for a variety of reasons.
 
Oklahoma City Police Department Lt. Dax Laporte spoke about how his department, and the Oklahoma City Fire Department, are using drones to often be the first responder to multiple calls for service, such as mental health incidents, reports of smoke, vehicle collisions and other emergencies.
 
Laporte explained that in the past 30 days, the drones used by the police and fire departments, which are housed at fire stations, have flown more than 1,800 flights with 297.3 hours of flight time. The drones can all be launched and controlled remotely.
 
To conclude the event, Laporte launched a drone from the police department’s headquarters building and flew it to the Omni hotel, where the conference is being held, providing a live image on multiple screens as he manipulated the drone to show the room where attendees were located.
 
Additionally, representatives from the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education shared detailed case studies and practical examples of how they use drone technology throughout Oklahoma, such as for delivery of packages. They explained, for example, that in Tulsa, Manna, a drone delivery company, has launched an expansion with plans to operate 40 drone bases by mid-2027.
 
Other topics included what is coming next, such as small AAM vehicles, the FAA’s eIPP pilot program, regulatory issues and counter UAS technologies. Besides the presenters, attendees from across the country shared what they are doing in their communities and provided practical examples.

Source:

AAAE Aviation News Today